Re: Focal Planes: is the FFP worth it for mil dot?
I think one of the points made in this thread bears calling out a little bit.
Yes, a dot-style (as opposed to hash style) mil dot scope at a longer range is going to cover up an area of your target equivalent to how much ever diameter the fraction of a mil that the dot encompasses is at range. The longer the range, of course, the more empirical diameter is being consumed in the reticle's optical field by the mil dot.
At the same time, when you move to an optical system with a finer detailed reticle you are making assumptions on the eyesight of the shooter and the shooter's ability and training to acquire and apply the finer detail under the shooting conditions that they purchased the rifle for.
So it all comes back to purpose.
For me, I know this rifle will probably never (I pray, anyway) be used against a two legged target in a kill or be killed situation. (If it is, the chinese or zombies are here OR its a book of eli situation and we are all in trouble!) I know that in taking a shot, most likely I will have the time to slow down, use a finer optic, and take the shot on my target, whether paper or animal.
However, I know my eyesight is crap.
For my purposes the mil dot is going to be a better choice.
1) Its what my training and experience has been in so it is the platform I can most effectively use to target the ballistic system it is attached to.
2) I know the ranges I shoot at are usually between 200 and 700 yards on average (elk and coyote range, sometimes mid-range paper).
Therefore I know some things that I need and some things that I don't to make an intelligent optic decision. No matter who you are and what you shoot, you have your own needs that you can go through like this to arrive at your necessary feature list.
I'm surprised this line of discussion was not pursued much as we tend to see a lot of newbie discussion on the subject.
Get the reticle which fits your use for the firearm and your training and experience as an individual shooter.
NOT the one with the cool buzzwords you saw in a magazine or read in a book, or thought was "cool" in someone else's photo.
And KY-- I admit it. I needed a bowl of wheaties. You had more than you needed. Sorry about that, they were good though